Terminal outlet fitting



" Jilne 30,1931. I R. ECKSTEIN 1,812,396

TERMINAL OUTLET FITTING Original Filed April 22, 1925 INVENTOR Jib BY jze 4* ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931 a PATENT OFFICE Rnunnn ncxs'rnm, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

TERMINAL OUTLET FITTING Original application filed April 22, 1925, Serial No, 24,940. Divided and this application filed November 7,

l 1925. Serial No. 67,645

' This invention relates to terminal outlet fittings for portable electric wiring extensions, and has-for its object the provision of'an improved and practical fitting of the character described for connecting a plurality of portable circuits to a single power source.

directed to a device More particularly, the invention is for connecting together lighting units into a built-up, sectionalized, system for decorative illumination such as used in trimming Christmas trees, window displays, and for other like purposes.-

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of the character described having means whereby a plurality of units having anumber of lamps in series may be connected so as to form a complete lighting system for decorative purposes containing any desired number of units.

A further object of the invention is to provide a terminal outlet fitting of the character described which is simple. in construction, comparatively cheap to manufacture, and etficient and practical to a high degree.

Certain features herein shown and de scribed are shown, described, and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 24,940, filed April 22, 1925, of which the pres-' ent application is a division.

With the above exception, the invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and

of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a view, partly diagrammatic, showing a plurality of Christmas tree outfits, connected together to form a lighting system using wiring extensions each having a terminal outlet fitting embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of' the terminal outlet fittings taken on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an interior side of one half of the body portion of the terminal outlet fitting; and

in Fi 1 an 1 desired number of li htin out- D 3 D D fits 10 may e connected together to form a complete lighting system by using one or more portable wiring extensions 14, 14 each preferably having a quick detachable plug cap 11 secured to one end of a lead wire 15 and terminal outlet fittings-16 spaced along, or at the other end of said wires 15. lVhere a single portable extension is desired for connecting together more than two outfits 10, the

main extension 14 with the spaced fittings 16 may be employed. By using one or more extensions 14", a built-up sectionalized system may be formed to include any desired number of outfits 10, as is apparent from Fig. 1.

The cap 11 of the extension 14, 14! may be adapted to be inserted in a standard flush receptacle or line tap (not shown) or to the receptacle end of a screw plug 11 as will be well understood.

The terminal outlet fittings 16 may each comprise a body portion formed of suitable insulating material and metallic current carryin portions, the body portion being preferably split transversely of its length as at 17 to form two similarly shaped parts 17 and having socket portions or through passages 17 extending. longitudinally in the ,by soldering, the free ends of said member 18 being bent over to form spring contact ends 18", the latter being adapted to extend partially through the passages 17 so as to eliminate possible short circuits or in ury to persons handlin the lighting device. Suitable recesses 1 may be provided in the body part 17 for receiving the extending parts 18 to retain the current carrying portions against displacement with respect to the said body portion.

To rigidly secure the parts 17 together, any well known means may be used, as for example a centrally disposed longitudinally extending screw 19 having a nut 20, the head of the screw and the nut preferably being normally positioned in counterbored depressions 17 in the ends of said body parts 17. Movement of the parts 17 relative to each other may be prevented by providing one or more dowel pins 21 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The dowel pin 21 in each section 17 is received in a recess 22 formed in the other section 17.

A transverse through passage 17 communicating with the longitudinal passage 17 is provided for receiving the conductor wires- 15 to permit connecting the latter to the current carrying parts as shown in Fig. 2.

In using the invention, a screw plug such as 11* is inserted in a power supply line and the cap 11 of the extension 14 attached to said plug in the usual manner. The caps 11 of lighting outfits made in accordance with this invention are then attached to the outlet fitting 16 for connecting the sockets and lam s 13 to the power supply, the prongs 11 of t e caps 11 being adapted to contact with the spring ends 18 of the current carrying portions of the fitting 16. It is apparent that as many outlet fittings 16 may be spaced along lead wire as desired and to each fittin two outfits may be connected.

ith the extension 14" one outlet is available for attaching an outfit 10 and the other outlet may have another extension 14* or second outfit 10 as desired thus forming a sectionalized extension system.

From the drawings and description given above, it is seen that the extensions 14 and 14 with the outlet fittings 16 provide a simple and easy means for connecting a plurality of lighting outfits or the like units of standard construction, to a power supply and from a portable lighting system which may be exthe accompanaying drawings is to be interpreted as illustratlve and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An outlet fitting for joining a plurality of circuits in parallel, comprising a two part body portion, a plurality of through passages in each of said parts, a through passage in one of said parts being adapted to mate with a passage in the other part, a current carrying member received in said mating passages, said member comprising a pair of cont-act members having foot portions adapted to be clamped together by said body portions for retaining said current carrying member against any movement.

2. An outlet fitting having means for coupling a plurality of circuits in parallel comprising a body portion having two sections assembled in face to face relation, each of said sections having thru openings form- .ing through passages in said fitting, recesses in said faces extending from said openings, and current carrying parts extending into said openings and having projections posi tioned in said recesses, and adapted to be clamped by said sections to prevent movement of said current carrying parts, upon assembling said body.

3. In an outlet fitting coupling a plurality of circuits in parallel, a body portion having two symmetrical sections assembled in face to face relation, each section having a pair of thru openings, the openings in one section registering with the openings in the other section to form thru passages in said fitting and current carrying members Within said thru passages, each of said current carrying members comprising a pair of oppositely extending spring contact members having foot portions in contact with each other and disposed between the adjacent faces of the section, saidI-{Eoot portions being adapted to be clampeditogether by said sections upon assemblingthe same to prevent movement of the current carrying members.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

REUBEN no STEIN.

tended to include any desired number of out- 1 I I fits or units.

It will thus be seen that there is-provided I a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments-j might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodi- -1nent above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth, or shown in 

